Another Soul
by BleedingRogue
Summary: This is the story of an Undead given another chance. Will they fight against the will of the Lords? Or, will they follow in the footsteps of those who attempted to link the flame before them? Fellow Undead, read through the journey of an Undead on the brink of hollowing who is trying to piece together their past in the ruins of a once great land. Rated M for cursing and gore.
1. The Start of a Life That Leads to Death

What do I do next? Is that not the question everyone finds themselves asking? Where one is to go next in life is always a matter to be decided. But, what is one to do when their life has already ended, and gods have set a path before you to follow? Do you accept the hand you've been dealt, and follow blindly? Or, do you stray from the path, without guidance and without support? The "lives" of those whose lives are falsehoods are never simple ones. This is but the tale of one of many. This being is not the first to walk this beaten path, nor will they be the last. However, they are one who left their own mark in the history of this dying land. History that will one day be forgotten, this much is certain. But, for now, let their story be heard and remembered.

In ages past, before the hands of time took hold of the land, and before man took all he saw for his own, there was little. Lands of gray crags, arch trees and everlasting stone dragons.

During this seemingly endless age, a new force appeared. This force is what drives the land to this day. A dying power now referred to as The First Flame. The Flame brought many things with its arrival. Time began, Light and Dark entered an endless grapple for power over the other. But, above all else, The First Flame brought with it, souls. These souls granted power to the first of the pygmies to discover them. Four souls, for four Lords. The Light Soul was given to Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight, a sort of king in this land. The Life Soul, bequeathed to the Witch of Izalith, who shared her power with her Daughters of Chaos. The Soul of Death held by Gravelord Nito, the first of the dead and ruler over the Catacombs. Finally, The Furtive Pygmy, owner of the Dark Soul, father to humanity and to The Abyss. He would later be known as Manus.

These beings have outlived their time, all shells of their former selves. The age of man, the age of dark, draws near as the fading of the First Flame continues, bringing with it the curse of the undead, the Darksign.

In this land, when one is branded with the Darksign and becomes undead, they are corralled and lead en masse, far to the north, to the Undead Asylum, to rot and await the end of the world. This is where the story of our "Chosen Undead" begins. Slowly hollowing in one of several crumbling cells in the Asylum. None know how long this undead had been here. One thing however is certain. The undead escaped from the Asylum.


	2. Escaping The Asylum

In the far recesses of the Undead Asylum, an Undead rests among the crumbling walls of their cell. The Undead is still, having given up hope long ago when they were first placed here. An Undead with no hope, no future and no will. That is until a corpse plummeted at their feet. The Undead, hardly reacted, slowly raising their head to see where the body had come from.

A knight, in plate mail armor, clad with ornamental blue cloth. The knight saw the reaction of the undead that confirmed his suspicions. All other undead here had hollowed. The undead in the cell below him seemed to be the only one that had yet to succumb to madness. "You there. If you are no hollow, you will be pleased to know there is a key to the cells of this Asylum on that corpse." The knight pointed to the body of a hollow strewn on the floor. "Use it to escape. If fate should be so kind, I will meet you further ahead." With that said, the knight left the Undead to escape on their own.

* * *

The Undead had scarcely anything on their person, some dark leather garments, and a sword that had its blade broken off at the hilt. Standing up, they moved towards the hollow and went for the key looped around its neck. Inserting the key into the lock, they twisted, and with some effort, the door to their cell opened with a slow creek. If they were to hollow anyway, what good was it to do so in some forgotten corner of the Asylum?

Most of the Asylum had fallen to pieces. Walls becoming piles of bricks, entire sections of the ceiling caving in and filth ridden water coating most of the floors. But, an Undead has little care for such things, so they pressed on, reaching a ladder and climbing up it. At the top was what the Undead could only discern as a courtyard of sorts. In the center, near the grand pair of doors was something that the Undead didn't recognize, but drew them in nonetheless. A strange, coiled sword piercing the earth in a pile of smoldering, ashen bone. The Undead would later find these formations to be Bonfires. For now, the Bonfire gave the Undead a sense of familiarity and comfort, a feeling they had forgotten in their time in the cell.

Stepping up to the glowing embers below the coiled sword, the Undead reached out to touch it. The flames roared to life and the Undead was reinvigorated. All the fatigue from their time spent imprisoned had vanished, leaving them as fit as a shriveled corpse could be. Something else came to the Undead. The Undead was able to think more clearly, the hunger that was lying within them had faded somewhat and they were driven to proper cognitive ability.

Looking around their current environment, the Undead saw only three directions they could go. Back certainly wasn't an option. After obtaining freedom and escaping the verge of hollowing, there was no way they would return to that cell. There was a small, rusted, iron gate on the right wall, but it appeared to be locked on the other side, and they couldn't bend their arm through the gaps to reach the latch. So, that left the giant doors as their only option.

Stepping up to the grand wooden frames, the Undead placed a hand on each side and pushed them open with every ounce of strength they had. After a full half-minute of effort, the heavy doors had given way enough for the Undead to fit through.

There didn't seem to be anything on the other side. All they could see were several stone pillars on either side of the open room and several large, ceramic pots. Above them was a different story. On the roof above the room, rested a demon. The Undead had never seen one, but a part of them knew what it was the moment their empty eyes spotted it. The demon was extremely large. It's weight alone could easily crush them. More concerning was the enormous hammer on the demon's side. If the demon's weight would crush the Undead, then the hammer it wielded would easily turn them to dust where they stood. Luckily, it seemed that the demon was asleep.

There had to be a way to sneak around the creature. As they stood now, there was no way that the Undead could even hope to harm the demon. Another examination of the room showed the Undead passageway on the opposite end of the room. That was the only way that they would be able to get through without becoming part of the paving stones. If they were to try and open the heavy doors on the far side, the demon would be certain to take notice.

The Undead began to creep inside the room, making their way to the door. Every single crack that their boots made with the ground beneath them made the Undead look up to see if the demon was still sleeping. As luck would have it, the Undead made it to the door without the demon even stirring from its slumber. As soon as the Undead made it past the gate, they heaved a sigh of relief. They hadn't felt fear the entire time they were inside of their cell. Resignation to death and hollowing, sure, but not fear.

Inside the door was a short flight of stairs. At the bottom, there was a flickering light, like those produced from fire. Once more, the Undead had that odd feeling of being called home. Their suspicions were confirmed. Just on the right of the stairway was another bonfire, and next to it was the knight that had dropped the corpse into their cell. When the Undead had entered, the knight took notice immediately. Before the Undead could react, the knight was already on their feet with their sword drawn in a defensive stance. When the knight saw that it wasn't a mindless hollow that had entered their spot of refuge, their stance eased some and they sheathed their weapon.

"So, I see you managed to make it out alright, and even snuck past the Asylum's guardian." The knight sat back down next to the bonfire and removed their helmet. Underneath the metal visor was a young man. He must have been no older than thirty when he became Undead. His hair was blond and cropped to one side. His eyes were an impeccable shade of blue. His cheeks were soft and his nose was short and rounded. What was most notable was the way he carried himself. He was confident, but not cocky. "My name is Oscar of the house Astora. I, same as you, am undead. I came to this place to fulfill and ancient prophecy spoken in my family." The knight's face became nostalgic and he looked into the flames of the bonfire. "Thou who art undead art chosen. In thine exodus to the Undead Asylum maketh pilgrimage to the Land of the Ancient Lords. When thou ringeth the Bells of Awakening, the fate of the undead thou shalt know." Oscar cast his gaze from the fire to the Undead next to them. "That is why I was searching for undead who had yet to hollow in this Asylum. I know full well that I am most certainly not one capable of fulfilling the prophecy, but if there was even a single chance that anyone here could, I was taking it."

Oscar placed a hand over his chest. As he pulled it away, a black substance began to move from his chest to his hand. Once he had pulled his hand away and held up his palm, the substance had formed itself into a black sprite. The hunger that the Undead had felt earlier was sparked anew and it took everything that the Undead had not to lash out and attack the knight for the object in his palm. "In your current state, it would be too dangerous to take risk with traveling with you. You were on the verge of hollowing when I gave you the key to that cell. This is Humanity. The core substance that drives all Undead. Without this we become mindless creatures set on the consumption of souls. Here," Oscar held his hand out to the Undead. "take it. It isn't much, but it's sadly all I can spare without risking hollowing myself.

The Undead snatched the Humanity from Oscar's hand, as if frightened that it would disappear if left for too long. Oscar seemed amused at the Undead's display. "Go on, crush the sprite in you palm." The Undead did as it was told and pulled their fingers together, causing the sprite to burst in a black and white mist that flowed into the Undead's body. They could feel the hunger inside of them subside, if only a little. "Yes, just like that. Come sit by this bonfire with me, I'll show you how to offer your humanity to it so you can restore yourself from you hollowed form."

The process for reversing hollowing was easy. An undead must simply place their hand in the flames of a bonfire and let it consume some of the humanity inside of them. Once a sufficient amount had burned, the undead's appearance would return to that of a human.

When the Undead had finished the offering, their features were finally visible. The Undead was a young girl. Her face was thin and was covered in freckles with a single small scar running across the bottom of her chin. Her eyes were hazel, the flecks of gold in her eyes were especially prominent. Her hair was short and frizzy, the brown strands going every which way.

"It looks like it worked just fine. So, I introduced myself. I'd say it's quite fair for you to introduce yourself." She wanted to speak, to thank the knight who had freed her from that cell, but something wouldn't let her do so. She tried opening her mouth to say something, anything. Not a sound came from her. "You cannot speak eh? Well, I'm sorry for that. But I could at least get your name. Do you remember how to write?" The girl nodded her head. "Well, alright then." Oscar reached into the pouch on his belt. In his hand he held a small journal and a piece of charcoal. "Take these and write your name on any blank page." The girl took the charcoal and parchment, turned to an open page and began writing. When she finished, she turned the journal so that Oscar could see.

"Katherin. That is a fine name." Oscar put the helmet back on his head and stood up. "I know it may sound cruel to ask this of you since you just got out of your confinement, but could I ask you to help me escape from this place?" Katherin nodded in confirmation. She was indebted to this man and she doubted that either of them would be able to escape on their own, so she would at least attempt to help him in any way she could. "Splendid, I'll be sure to aid you in any way possible once we escape from here. For now, it seems that you don't have any real weapons aside from the busted blade at your hip. I cannot say that I have much else in terms of a weapon aside from my longsword and shield. However, I do have this dagger. It's not much, but it's better than your fists at least."

* * *

Oscar and Katherin began making their way through the Asylum. So far, they had only run into a few hollows that Oscar quickly cut down. The pair was currently standing on an upper floor of the Asylum, overlooking a cliffside.

Oscar pointed towards the cliff. "There is our exit, though it doesn't seem like there is any way down from here. My guess is that we'll have to use the main door directly below us. I'm sure you saw it earlier when you were sneaking past the Asylum's demon. I suppose we have no choice but to make our way back where we came from and make an attempt at getting through those doors. If we're lucky, the beast will remain asleep. More than likely, the demon will awake and we won't be getting out of here without a struggle. If or when that time comes, I will keep it distracted while you try and get the door open." Katherin nodded at Oscar. She didn't like the thought of having to face the demon. In fact, she was terrified of it. But, they were left with little other choice.

* * *

The pair were now back at the gate that Katherin had slipped into to avoid the demon. Oscar had gone over the plan on the way back. They were both going to attempt to push the door open together. If the demon woke up and jumped down to attack them, Oscar would face it while Katherin worked on the door.

They both crept to the door, trying to keep their footfalls as silent as possible. Katherin hardly made a sound, but every step Oscar took caused the loose metal on his armor to clang together noisily. Thankfully for them, the demon didn't seem to hear it. Once at the door, the two began to push on each side. Even with the force of the two of them combined, they didn't seem to be making any progress. The door refused to budge. Oscar cursed under his breath. "The damned door is locked. The only possibility is that that demon acting as the warden must have the key. I'm afraid we have no choice but to fight it."

Katherin couldn't do it. Fight a demon? The knight was mad to think that they stood a chance. The beast was massive. It was at least six times their height and a thousand times as heavy. But, here this knight was, ready to face off against a creature that was capable of killing the both of them one-hundred times over.

The new plan was this. Oscar was going to bash his shield a few times to get the demon's attention and Katherin was going to hide in the doorway near the bonfire. Katherin was glad that Oscar hadn't included her in his plans to fight. She knew her limits. She knew she wasn't capable of doing more than becoming a minor nuisance to the demon and becoming a hindrance for Oscar. Still, she felt bad that she couldn't be more of a help to the knight that saved her from hollowing.

Katherin had to pay attention, Oscar was standing in the middle of the room, bashing his sword against his shield. After hitting it only a few times, he stopped and ran to the far end of the room, towards the doors that lead to the other bonfire. Shortly after he made it, the demon came crashing to the ground. The impact caused Katherin to lose her balance and fall onto her back. She looked on, horrified. It was even more terrifying up close. From this distance, she could even smell it. The scent made her gag.

She watched on as Oscar and the demon began their fight. The demon's swings with its club were slow, but the force behind it was great enough to destroy the pillars in the room without the blow losing any speed. Oscar was surprisingly nimble in his armor, managing to roll past the demon's swings. After a successful dodge, Oscar would go in for a counter and strike the demon's legs with his sword, but the demon's skin was thick and Oscar only managed to make the demon bleed slightly. This scene repeated for sometime, with the demon swinging away at Oscar, and the knight dodging to counter afterwards. The demon may not have been smart, but it was able to tell that it wouldn't be hitting the knight anytime soon with its current attack pattern. On the demon's next swing, it spun and struck Oscar with its tail. While not lethal, the force was enough to send Oscar flying backwards, into one of the few remaining pillars.

Katherin couldn't watch anymore. Oscar was going to die if this kept up. The demon was slowly approaching Oscar, like it had taken pride in what it had done and wanted to take its time enjoying it. What could Katherin do? She was inexperienced when it came to fighting and she doubted she could do any more harm to the demon than Oscar did with the dagger she was holding. She looked about the room frantically, looking for some way she could help Oscar. Above Oscar and the demon, Katherin saw a balcony. It looked like the one that they had briefly passed when Oscar showed her the way out of the Asylum. If she could get to that ledge, maybe she could distract the demon without risking herself getting killed in the was her only chance to save both herself and Oscar.

Katherin ran as fast as she could up the stairs to the balcony. She was hoping with all of her heart that Oscar was still okay. She hadn't heard the ground shake from the demon's great hammer yet, so he more than likely was. But if she didn't worry, she didn't know how much longer that would be. She got to the balcony, out of breath. Atop the balcony, she saw the demon standing above Oscar, great hammer raised. She tried yelling to get the demon's attention, but she couldn't. No matter how hard she tried, not a single sound came from her. Then she heard it. A loud and echoing boom from the hammer crashing down. Katherin's heart stopped. She couldn't do it. She couldn't save the knight that saved her. She felt something tearing through her throat. She knew what it was. It was the knight's name. But still, she couldn't make a sound.

Sadness and rage filled her. She didn't have a chance of escaping the Asylum without Oscar, so she might as well do what she could to get revenge for him. Without another moment of hesitation, Katherin flung herself off of the balcony, clutching the dagger in both of her hands as hard as she could. Holding her eyes shut, she didn't see where she landed, but she felt the dagger sink into the demon's flesh, she felt herself slide down and she heard the demon cry in pain. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she had landed on the back of the demon's neck and her knife had sunk to the hilt. The blood gushing from the wound she had created was making her grip slick and she fell. Thankfully, the height wasn't great enough to do anything more than make her ankles hurt.

She expected the demon to turn around any second so that she could meet the same fate as Oscar. Instead, the demon fell forward, dropping its hammer as it fell. Katherin couldn't believe it. When she fell, the dagger must have wedged itself into the demon's spine, severing it from the brain, causing it to die instantly. Katherin's astonishment didn't last long. She heard a weak raspy voice near her, pulling her from her thoughts. "I can't believe it. You killed the demon." Katherin was shocked. At the base of a demolished pillar, Oscar was lying in a pool of blood, and the pool was getting bigger. He wouldn't survive for much longer. Katherin was kneeling over him, panicking. "Don't...worry about me too much... I knew...the moment that we found that door was locked...this was going to end with either one...or neither of us leaving...I'm glad it turned out to be the former…" Oscar was fading fast and Katherin knew it. His breathing was becoming more labored. "Katherin...I can't move...my arms...If you could….reach into my satchel...you'll find a… an emerald flask...take that with you...it serves me no purpose now…" Katherin did ass Oscar asked, and just as he said, there was a emerald flask, full of some glowing golden mixture. Oscar coughed violently and a small stream of blood came from the bottom of his visor, staining the blue cloth on his armor. "Regrettably...I have failed...in my mission...but….perhaps you can...keep the torch lit… that is an...Estus Flask...an undead favorite…" She didn't know what that was. An estus flask? What was it for? "I'll die soon...then...lose my sanity...please...grant a dying man...his last wish…fulfill my family's prophecy…" Those were the dying words of Oscar of Astora.

Oscar was dead. The man who gave her a second chance was dead. She may not have been able to save him, but she could at least pay him proper respects. She gathered his weapons that had been thrown about the room and laid them next to him, crossing his arms over his chest. Katherin felt solemn, but she was now determined to set out and complete her savior's mission in his stead.

Oscar had said that the demon must've had the key, but she couldn't find it. Had he been wrong? She walked around to the back of the demon to attempt to retrieve the knife that was plunged into its neck. Grasping the grip of the dagger and pulling with her feet against the demon's side, she managed to pull the blade free. Katherin moved to the demon's face to study it more closely. It was ugly. Its eyes were small, it had jagged fangs and the smell still made her gag, only now, the scent was mixed with blood. It also had a set of horns that more resembled the antlers of a deer, and on those horns was a key attached to a string. Oscar had been right. The demon did have the key.

Key now in hand, Katherin stood in front of the doors that barred her way to freedom. She inserted it into the lock and turned. There was a loud clank once the key had turned all the way, and Katherin attempted to push the door open once more. This time, the grand doors gave way and slowly moved apart. Ahead of her was a small path that led to the cliff. Katherin spared another glance behind her and gave a short prayer to whatever being was listening to have mercy on Oscar.

Now, Katherin stood at the edge of the cliff. There was nothing, the only thing below was the ground hundreds of feet underneath her. Where was the way down? Katherin chanced a peek over the edge to see if there was a ladder of some stairway that she couldn't see, but when her head went over the edge she was knocked backwards by a large mass of black feathers. While on her back, she felt giant talons grasp her and lift her off the ground. Below her now was the Asylum that she had been in for as long as she could remember. She couldn't get out of the giant bird's grip without falling to her death, so Katherin attempted to sleep. It didn't take her very long to do so. Within the few hours that she had been out of her cell, she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to let sleep take her.

* * *

Hello reader(s)! My name is BleedingRogue. Let us establish a few things here. This is my first crack at a Dark Souls fanficiton. However, I'm anything but new to Dark Souls itself. I've been obsessed with this game since 2012, so I like to think I know a thing or two about the series. I hope you enjoyed reading Chapter one, "Escaping the Asylum", of Another Soul.

A couple of things I would like to mention. I am NOT a professional author. So, please do not expect perfection out of me. But, that being the case, I am open to any criticism or encouragement you can think to give. Also, I do not have a set plan for how this story is going to turn out. In fact, the only parts of the story that I had planned were the intro and this chapter. So, any suggestions that you, the readers may want to see could end up implemented in the story if I can find a way to work it in well.

If you like what you've read so far, don't forget to follow the story so you know when the next chapter is out. I'll be doing my best to upload these chapters weekly if I can. If the chapter isn't up within the week, please bear with me, I will have it up as soon as possible. Thank you again for reading, and I hope you'll be looking forward to Chapter two, "The New Arrival" of Another Soul.


	3. The New Arrival

Author's Note

I'm going to address a few elements to this story. Or rather, rules to the story. First and foremost will be game mechanics. I'm going to have some leeway with these. For example, how estus will work, enemy revival at bonfires, leveling up, e.t.c.

Secondly will be character storylines and progression. I will be keeping most of them fairly cannon, but may take a bit of creative freedom with them.

Lastly, enemies themselves. I'm trying to hit closer to home with the whole, "mindless hollows thing," so enemies like hollows will be much easier to take on in combat than in comparison to the games, while enemies like the man-serpents and silver knights will be much, much more challenging.

That's all I can think of at the moment. If you have questions, comments, recommendations, compliments, or critiques, I am more than happy to hear them. Here's chapter two of Another Soul. The New Arrival.

The smooth gliding of the enormous crow suddenly shifted, the bird shifting and slowing down. This did not go unnoticed by the Undead the bird clutched in its talons. When Katherin opened her eyes, she was greeted with the sight of a quickly approaching cliffside, adorned with a grand, dead tree and ruins of some kind. She was given little time to gather any other details, as the crow slowed just long enough to drop her a few feet off the ground, flying off to perch on one of the many crumbling walls that made up the nearby structure.

When Katherin hit the ground, she tumbled, rolling into the side of an empty well. Aside from a few scrapes and a bump on her head, courtesy of the well, she was fine. Using the well as support, Katherin stood up and took another look at her new environment. No longer in the grip of a quick moving bird, she was able to make out the details more easily. In front of her was the tree that she managed to spot on the way down, directly in front of the tree, at the bottom of round indentation was another bonfire, like what she had seen in the asylum. To her right, was the ruins. Off, through the first couple of doorways was a small, rectangular pond, on the other side of it was a statue of a woman in draping cloths, holding a child. High above that was a wall, encased in stairs, leading to a large bird's nest which she could only guess belonged to the crow. Even further up, along the cliffside, Katherin was able to see what she could only guess to be a church, the only discernible feature from this distance being the chapel and bell tower.

Near the fire, resting against a pile of bricks, a worn out Undead chuckled. Katherin heard the soft laughter and turned her head to the source, having not noticed him until now. The man on the pile of bricks was donned in a full suit of chainmail, a medium sized shield, dented, rusted and battered lay at his feet, while a longsword lay strapped at his hip. The man chuckled again.

"Well, you must be a new arrival. Let me guess, fate of the Undead, right?" The man inhaled and sighed, "Well, you're not the first."

Katherin walked closer to the man, cautiously. His tone of voice and laughter made her uneasy. When she got close enough, she was able to see his eyes. Pale blue and a glint that told her he had given up. His brown hair was a mess atop his head and his face was covered in stubble. The aloof way that he presented himself put a single word into Katherin's mind. Crestfallen.

The Crestfallen Warrior looked up at Katherin, "What, are you already so startled that you can't speak?" Katherin looked down in shame. After a moment, a thought struck her and she began rummaging through the satchel she had at her waist. The man spoke up again, "Oi, what are you doing there lass?" Finding what she was looking for, Katherin pulled out the journal and charcoal that Oscar had lent to her to write her name. Besides his dagger, it was the only thing that she had to remember him.

After flipping through a few pages filled with Oscar's writing and passing the page with her own name on it, Katherin wrote down a single word and held it up for the man to see.

" Mute, eh? Well, that must be awfully difficult," He said sarcastically. "Do tell though, what brings you here to Lordran?" Katherin began writing in the journal again, raising it up for the man to see when she was finished.

'The Bell.'

" Well then lass, allow me to break the news to you now. There are actually two Bells of Awakening. " The Crestfallen Warrior pointed up towards the cliff. "One's up above in the Undead Church. However, someone got the lift stuck at the top some time ago, so you'll have to go the long way, through the Undead Burg. The other bell is far, far below in the cesspool known as Blighttown." Once more, the man laughed to himself. "Many have gone to ring those bells. Logan's apprentice, the pyromancer from the Great Swamp and even that loon that wouldn't stop talking about the Sun, haven't returned."

The Crestfallen Warrior gave Katherin a quick look from top to bottom. "From the looks of you, it doesn't seem like you're very well equipped. And I can tell from a glance that you don't know the first thing about fighting." Katherin's face became solemn, remembering how she had failed to help Oscar when he fell to the Asylum Demon. "You should give up on this fool's errand now before it gets you killed." Katherin couldn't do that, she had steeled her resolve the moment that Oscar took his last breath, that she would carry out his mission to the best of her abilities. "I know that look in your eyes lass. So you still plan on going?." Katherin nodded her head in confirmation. "Well, not that it matters to me." The man stood up and walked towards the cliffside, just past the well and pointed up towards a bridge that linked the shrine to the buildings above. "You'll have to take the sewers to the Burg and make your way to the church."

Again, Katherin began to write in the journal. The solemn man looked at her, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What is it now?" he demanded.

Katherin held the pages out for him to see. In smudged charcoal she had written one thing.

'Name?'

"My name, eh?" The Crestfallen Warrior made his way back to the brick pile and sat. His gaze found its way to the ground. "I've been here in Firelink for so long, on the verge of hollowing, I've forgotten nearly everything, including my name."

Katherin found herself looking to the ground as well, thinking about what she should do. Suddenly, the charcoal was running across paper. When the Crestfallen Warrior picked his head up, Katherin already had the journal pointed at him.

'Darick'

The man stared at the page for a moment, then he looked at Katherin's face behind the book. She was smiling at him. "You're giving me that name?" He asked.

Katherin nodded in response.

"Frankly," the man said, "I've little care for what you call me. Not like names matter for us Undead. Once we hollow, our names mean nothing." 'Darick' was growing tired of the conversation between the two of them. As much conversation that can be had with a mute anyway. "I'm not up for chatting. Go bother someone else. Maybe that cleric by the elevator will help you to the Burg."

Katherin was saddened at the man's lack of joy in his newfound identity. Not wanting to bother him any further, Katherin made her way up the few short sets of stairs that led to the elevator. Little did she know, the man had smiled to himself when she turned her back.

At the top of the stairs, she found another man clad in armor, sitting amongst a number of large pots. When Katherin walked a bit further into the room the man was in, he began to speak to her as he rose from his place on the ground.

"Ah, hello there. I believe that we have not been acquainted. I am Petrus of Thorolund. Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" To answer his question, Katherin found the page with her name on it, and turned the pages so that Petrus could see.

Upon reading the page's contents, Petrus asked, "Do you lack the ability to speak, Madame? Is that why you use charcoal and papyrus to etch your words?"

Katherin nodded.

"That is a shame, you share much in common with the Firekeeper below this shrine. Although I suppose that your silence has a less heretical origin." Petrus mused. "I know our meeting is short, but I'd prefer to keep a distance if possible."

Katherin was put off. Not only did this man do nothing to help her, he gave her more questions that she wanted the answers to.

Seeing Katherin's annoyed expression, Petrus dug into the satchel on his hip and pulled something out of it, holding his open palm out to Katherin. "To show that it is not meant in ill will, a gift."

Katherin peered at the item in the man's hand suspiciously. In the center of his hand was a single copper coin with a face etched into the side of it. Petrus then pushed his hand forward a bit, urging Katherin to take the coin. "Go on, take it," he said, "It's for you."

Begrudgingly, Katherin took the coin and placed it into her own bag. Petrus spoke up, "I do apologize, I meant no harm by it, I'm merely waiting for my companions and cannot afford many distractions. If you have something to request of me, I'd be more than happy to hear you out at the least. After all," Petrus exclaimed, "It is part of my job as a Cleric to help those in need."

With that said, Katherin set to writing her question in the journal.

'Need to get to the church.' Katherin pointed straight up at the structure looming overhead as she held out the book with her free hand.

"Ah," the Cleric knew all too well what the girl in front of him was trying to do. He had seen a great many undead go after the bells. Few made it to the church and fewer still even got close to the bell. Not that any of it mattered to him. He was only acting kind to keep up appearances. "You would seek the Bells of Awakening? If you were seeking advice, I would recommend that you not go, but if you must, the most I can do for you is share my miracles." Katherin regarded the Cleric with doubt, not knowing exactly what he meant when he said, 'miracles.'

Petrus could easily tell that the girl in front of him hadn't any experience in the field of miracles and saw this as his chance to sucker the girl into buying every scroll in his possession that had a single tale written in it. "Miracles are stories and prayers that allow us Clerics to borrow the power of the Gods. The longer and more detailed the miracle, the more potent it becomes." Petrus reached into his bag and pulled out a small, weathered scroll and a tattered bundle of cloth. "All you need to perform a miracle is the tale itself and a talisman. A talisman acts as a medium for the power of the Gods to flow through so that you may use them in their true splendor. Of course, certain talismans are better capable of this than others." Petrus held out the talisman and the scroll for Katherin to take. "I trust that should you find yourself in need of more miracles, you will turn to me." Katherin took the scroll and bundle of cloth, placing both in her bag. Petrus waved her off. "The effectiveness of my teaching will ultimately depend upon your faith. So long for now."

Katherin walked away, feeling only a little better than when she spoke to the warrior by the bonfire. Her confidence in herself was dwindling. Thus far she had met only one person who had been remotely kind, and he had died to help her. The others had been rude or had wanted her gone as quickly as possible. How was she supposed to ring the bells on her own. She had only gotten as far as she had due to someone else and an extremely lucky attack.

Katherin stood by the well that had served as a speed bump for her head earlier and took a second glance in the direction of the cliff that Darick had pointed her to. On the ledge she was able to make out a few standing figures. They looked like people, but even at this distance she was able to tell that something was amiss. She got the same air from them as she did the prisoners at the Asylum. Lifeless, but living.

In order to reach the bell in the Church above her head, Darick had told her that the sewer duct was the only way. And the only way to get there was through the hollows on the cliffside.

Pulling her dagger from her belt and holding it with both hands, Katherin began her walk up the stairs on the cliffside. As she reached the top of the first flight of stairs, the first hollow caught sight of her and started at her, broken sword drawn back. It's first swing was slow and horribly inaccurate, missing Katherin by a wide breadth. The hollow drew its sword back again, this time to strike at her from above. Katherin took this time to step by the jagged edge of the blade and drive her dagger into the hollow's chest, taking it to the ground and twisting the hilt on the way down.

Katherin stayed there for a moment, atop the hollow, panting heavily. Aside from the Asylum's Demon, that was the first time Katherin had fought for her life. This time, she had gone in with the intention of living.

Steeling herself, Katherin stood up and glanced further up the path. A more heavily armored hollow stood near the cliffs edge, while two more in ragged armor were further up the stairs to her left. If these hollows were anything like the one she had just killed, then their attack would be slow and telegraphed. She could do this.

Katherin was sitting on one of the stairs on the cliff, currently wrapping her left arm with part of the cloth from her shoulder. A number of hollow corpses lay around her. She had managed to take down most of the hollows with no issues. However when she was pacing around the armored one, she had failed to notice the one that had thrown a firebomb at her. It had missed, but some of the burning shrapnel had grazed her arm.

Satisfied with her first aid, Katherin pressed on, into the sewer line. The moment she had passed the doorway, she was hit with smells of mildew and decay. To her left, she saw a large, plague ridden rat chewing away at a corpse leaning on some metal bars. To her right, she was able to see a light coming a little further down the passage. Deciding that the right path was the better of the two options, she moved towards the door, tightening her grip on her dagger once again.

Katherin breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled the dagger from the back of another hollow. As soon as she had exited the door, she had been ambushed by another group of hollows. Similar to the first encounter, many of them were slow to swing their blades, but their numbers had gotten the better of Katherin. She was now sporting a light gash on her right side, courtesy of one of the hollows swords. Her padded leather shirt had dampened some of the blow, but it had still drawn blood. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be bleeding enough for her to worry about it at the moment.

Weather from her injury or from the hollows, Katherin's hands were coated in blood. Wiping them off on her shirt, she made her way further into the burg, using one of the houses as a way up, she came to a small bridge. Once about halfway across, Katherin heard a loud flapping sound that reminded her of the crow, only to be knocked onto her back when a enormous dragon-like creature landed on the bridge a mere ten feet from her, taking off over the cityscape almost as soon as it had landed, leaving Katherin dazed and horrified.

She had been terrified when facing the Asylum Demon, but she was petrified of that drake. With any luck, she would not come across it any time soon.

Senses recovered, Katherin stepped up to the platform in front of her, immediately assaulted by three hollows and an archer taking fire from the ledge above.

She rushed after the nearest hollow, ignoring the throbbing from her side and slide the dagger against the side of its neck before it could draw its broken sword back to swing at her. No sooner than she had moved from the fallen hollow's side, a crossbow bolt stuck the bricks where she had been moments ago. Katherin remained wary of the archer, not wanting a bolt to find itself lodged in her chest.

The other two hollows had closed the distance. One on her left had began slashing rapidly in front of itself, prompting Katherin to step back safely out of harm's reach, while the second made a leaping slash at Katherin, forcing her to roll out of the way, sidestepping another bolt from the crossbow. Not missing the opening made by the second hollow, Katherin stabbed it in the back, kicking it off her blade when she felt its body sag. With only one left, it fell easily, leaving Katherin to deal with the archer.

It was very obvious when the archer was going to fire. It always aimed, not bothering to feint, firing directly at Katherin each time. This made dodging the incoming bolts rather easy. Once Katherin was within arms reach, it was as simple as sticking her dagger between its empty eyes.

Sure that all the hollows in the vicinity had been dealt with, Katherin allowed herself to relax. No longer focused on fighting, Katherin was hit by the familiar feeling of 'home.' Turning to find the source, she saw a bonfire sitting in the base of one of the towers, across a short wooden platform.

No other thoughts in mind, Katerin stood in front of the coiled sword and pile of ash. Similar to the first bonfire that she had encountered, Katherin reached her hand out to touch the hilt of the sword. When her open palm reached it, the ashen bones below were engulfed in flames.

Katherin was overwhelmed by a sense of safety and relief. By now, Katherin realized just how tired she was from fighting her way here. She decided to take advantage of her brief respite and sat by the fire, allowing the flames to revitalize her. She felt all of her fatigue fade away and pulled the wraps from her arm, watching the burns fade back to pale skin.

Her physical fatigue may have been taken by the bonfire, but mentally, she was still very much tired. Around her were several burlap sacks, crates and barrels. Using the most comfortable of the sacks she could find, Katherin curled up in the corner and let sleep take her once more.

More Author's Notes

I suppose this is more of an apology? Really, it's more about failing to meet a promise to the readers of "weekly" chapters. Granted that this story hasn't seen an addition since...dear god...February? Jeez. That didn't and probably won't happen.

Come this fall, I will be in college, which will be taking many of the already few hours I put into this story. I can't make promises as to when new chapters will be out, but I will say that the last thing I want to do is abandon this fic.

Long story short, I will most likely be writing this story at my leisure. So expect probably weeks if (hopefully) not months between chapters. Sorry again, and sorry in advance.

With how screwed up the update schedule for this story will probably be, I kinda recommend that you follow the story if you're enjoying it, so that you know when the next chapter is up. Thanks for reading Chapter two, "The New Arrival" of Another Soul. Look forward to Chapter three, "The Bell Above."


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